KUALA LUMPUR – Close to a staggering 22,000 reports of bullying were filed by employees to the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This was revealed by MTUC deputy president Mohd Effendy Abdul Ghani, who said the group received 21,953 complaints of bullying between March and August 2020, offering further insight into the culture at workplaces.
“Each day, we received about 15 to 20 bullying cases involving several issues such as salaries being withheld and workers being forced to apply for annual leaves,” he was quoted as saying by The Vibes’ sister portal, Getaran.
“We have a Covid-19 MTUC unit comprising six statutory bodies tasked with collating these complaints during the movement control order period.”
Effendy said prior to the Covid-19 outbreak in Malaysia, MTUC had only received approximately 700 reports of bullying, including involving foreign workers.
His remarks come in the wake of the death of a houseman attached to Penang Hospital, who apparently fell from an office building earlier this month, triggering public outcry and calls for improvement to the treatment of young doctors.
The incident has also encouraged more junior doctors to speak up on the pervasive, long-standing bullying culture in the medical fraternity that has so far gone unaddressed.
In condemning workplace discrimination and bullying, Effendy urged the Health Ministry to conduct an immediate probe into the case involving the houseman in Penang.
He expressed his bewilderment over why the issue has been allowed to drag on for weeks.
On what form of action MTUC can take upon receiving a complaint from the workers, Effendy said members of the congress would meet with the employers in question and demand that action be taken immediately to resolve any lingering issues.
“We will act immediately because cases of bullying must not be allowed to persist, or there will be grave implication to the victims.
“MTUC has a complaint centre, and our headquarters are always open to all workers. So, if you have any problems, immediately lodge a report with us.” – The Vibes, May 14, 2022
